DIY Embellished Flour Sack Towels

Did you know that March is National Craft Month?  I didn't until the other day when I got my JoAnn's flier in the mail.

In light of this event, I thought I'd try to share a simple craft with you each week this month that would be something easy to do over the weekend {or during a nap time if that's all you have}.  I realize crafting is not for everyone, and more often than not my crafts end up as 'failed' projects, so don't be fooled by this into thinking that I am a crafting guru!  Every once in awhile I get inspired, and once I carve out some time I get a bit of fulfillment by using some creativity and working with my hands.  It's a nice break from sweeping, folding laundry, and scrubbing toilets.

Most of my kitchen towels are looking pretty ragged these days, so after seeing some pretty flour sack towels for sale in the store, I decided to embellish my own, for a portion of the cost.  This project is easy, it's inexpensive, and it's practical--all things that are perfect for me when choosing a craft.

You can choose any type of embellishments you want, I just opted to use some items I had on hand.  They happened to be the right colors for my kitchen {you can't go wrong with black} so other than the $5 I spent for a pack of 4 flour sack towels, I didn't spend any additional money.

First, you'll want to wash and dry your towels, just as you would once they've been used.  I also ironed mine prior to adding the decorative touches.  This isn't necessary, and I certainly don't iron them now that they're being used, but I felt like it was the appropriate way to begin a sewing project.  :)

Then, simply measure your embellishments to fit across the bottom of the towel {or the top, middle, or askew--whichever you prefer}.  I used ric rac, ribbon and some pom pom trim.  Simple stitches of thread in various widths or designs would also be pretty.

At this point you can either measure and pin your ribbon/ric rac/trim, or just eyeball it like I did.

Using either coordinating thread, or a pretty contrasting color, sew a straight stitch to attach the ribbon/ric rac/trim to your towel.

So easy!  This is a great project for beginners, and these would make excellent gifts.

I literally smile when I see these hanging from the handle of my oven.

If you're looking for a quick and practical craft for your weekend, go grab a pack of flour sack towels, take advantage of some of the sales going on right now at your local craft store and whip up some of these beauties.

Linking up to:
Tatertots and Jello

Stitching for the Kitchen, by Gooseberry Patch

Sewing for the home has been of my favorite hobbies since our wedding, almost seven years ago.  My husband's parents graciously gave us {me} a sewing machine as a wedding gift and I was thrilled!  I had always wanted to learn to sew, and right away I began making things for our apartment.

I was contacted earlier this summer about reviewing this new book by Gooseberry Patch, titled Stitching for the Kitchen: 30 Easy Projects for the Heart of your Home.  Because I just had a baby two weeks ago, instead of making a project from the book, I'm just sharing a little review for you today.

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This book has some great projects for handmade items to either keep for your own kitchen or give away to others.  Many of the projects in here are also great for young aspiring seamstresses who want to make a gift for a grandmother, aunt, or close friend.  The instructions are easy to follow, pattern pieces are included, and the back of the book includes some instructional techniques for learning how to sew.

My favorite part of this book is that they give some instructions on how to hand embroider.  This is something I've wanted to learn, as I would love to be able to personalize items without using a machine.  I'm looking forward to trying my hand at embroidering some napkins with monograms.

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If you're looking for some handmade projects, this book is perfect!

Be sure to check out the other bloggers who are participating in this blog hop.  Some are giving away copies of the book, and others are highlighting projects from the book.  Don't miss out!

July 22

Gooseberry Patch

July 23

Momma Young At Home

Craft Gossip

July 24

Glued to My Crafts

Green Eyed Momma

July 25

Sew Serendipity

July 26

Smashed Peas and Carrots

Marsha's Spot

July 27

Wild Olive

Only From Scratch

July 28

Pam Kitty Morning

Blue Nickel Studios

July 29

Old House Homestead

Susie QT Pies Cafe

Prairie Flower Farm

July 30

The Crafty Princess Diaries

Gramma's in the Kitchen

Two Maids A Milking

August 1

Vicki O'Dell

Homesteader's Heart  

August 2

A Creative Being

Delightful Country Cookin


I received a copy of Stitching for the Kitchen in exchange for writing a review.  All opinions are mine.  

Sunny Day T-Shirt Dress

One of my goals this year has been to make more clothes for my girls.  I have found sewing things for my home to be much more fulfilling up to this point, as I can hide my mistakes a bit more easily and usually don't have to put zippers into my projects.

When I was contacted about reviewing a new book, Sew Pretty T-Shirt Dresses, I eagerly signed up for the opportunity to be a part of the blog tour, highlighting this new book, and featuring some of the projects inside.  I absolutely love every pattern in this book!  Each dress begins with a t-shirt and some fabric, and by the time you're finished, you have a beautiful new dress.  No zippers, no cutting out pattern pieces, and yet they still look lovely.  It's also great for little girls, because they can get dressed without help.

I've wanted the girls to have new outfits to wear when they come to the hospital to meet their new baby sister {who is due in just 8 weeks!}, so we went to Hobby Lobby the other day, and the girls helped me to pick out some pretty pink fabrics.  I decided to make the Sunny Day dress, as I loved the simplicity and the combination of several different fabrics.  The instructions were easy to follow and I didn't have to rip out any seams in the process of sewing this outfit.

If you're looking for some fun patterns to sew for your little girl, I'd highly recommend purchasing this book.  One of the other great features I like about the book is that the beginning section gives a lot of instructions on basic sewing skills, including information about how to measure for your own t-shirt dress patterns.  Many of these projects could be modified for custom work, or will just provide inspiration to create your own pattern.

Here are some images of other projects in the book:

Bubble Tee

Square Dance

It's a Wrap

Royal Wedding

Thanks, Sweet Seam Studios, for such an inspiring work!

Here's a copy of the blog tour that's going on right now.  I'd encourage you to check out these other blogs; some are even offering giveaways, so you'll want to be sure to put your name in for a chance to win a copy of this book.

May 5  

Nouveau Stitch

Just Pure Lovely  

The Crafty Princess Diaries  

May 6

Crafting A Green World  

Stitched by Crystal  

May 7

Prudent Baby

House of 34

May 8

Smashed Peas and Carrots

Simply Modern Mom

May 9

Marsha’s Spot

Sew Spoiled  

May 10

Dollar Store Crafts

Only From Scratch

May 11

Wild Olive  

Positively Splendid   

May 12

On the Laundry Line    

Elegance and Elephants

May 13

Luvinthemommyhood

My Little Gems  

I was given a copy of the book "Sew Pretty T-Shirt Dresses" in exchange for a blog post.  All opinions are mine.  Photo images from the book, thanks to: Sew Pretty T-Shirt Dresses by Sweet Seams Studio, published by Sixth&Spring Books. Photography by Dan Howell and dress design and instructions copyright © 2013 by Sixth&Spring Books/Soho Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Toddler Bib from a Hand Towel

About four months ago, I stumbled upon a tutorial for a toddler bib by Amy at Positively Splendid.  I loved the she had a bib I could make following a simple pattern and applying bias tape.

I had read that children with Down Syndrome can have a difficult time learning how to eat, and that it can get pretty messy.  This is definitely the case with Mason.  He's a good eater, but we go through one bib at every feeding, and sometimes I feel like I should be wearing a bib too!  This toddler bib fits snugly around his neck, and covers his entire torso, keeping the food that spills out of his mouth on the bib {and occasionally on my shirt and glasses}.

Pre-eating mess

All you need to make these:

-hand towel
-bias tape
-coordinating thread
-velcro
-pattern from Amy's tutorial


I followed Amy's tutorial almost exactly, including using her pattern.  However, instead of using snaps on the back like she did, I opted for velcro.  My only reasoning was that I had some on hand.  So, follow her tutorial, and if you want to use velcro instead of snaps, simply sew the velcro onto the back in the same placement as the snaps.

The armholes have a reinforced seam, keeping them well intact.

The pattern is stated to be toddler size, but it fits my 10 month old baby, and my four year old daughter, who modeled it for me.  She was a ladybug that day.

Appliques would be super cute on the front of these.  My mother-in-law happens to have an embroidery machine, so she graciously placed Mason's monogram on them for me.  Keeping it plain would work just fine, too!  This is a great gift and a perfect beginner sewing project.

Linking to:

Handmade Felt Food

One of my projects this month has been to clean out and organize my sewing room.  In doing so, I discovered quite a few unfinished projects.  So, next on the list is to finish these projects.  Last week I finally wrapped one up!  

Two years ago I purchased a pattern and supplies to make felt play food for my daughters.  We were anticipating a move, which would mean room for a kitchen set and I wanted them to have food to play with.  I pinned the fabric to the pattern pieces and then stuck them in a box for two years.  I have thought about it from time to time, and always kept putting it off. 

Making felt food was really fun!  It's a bit tedious, as the pieces are somewhat small, but it was totally worth it for me, and the girls love it!  They saw the pattern cover, and have now commissioned me to make cupcakes and a cake--that will have to wait until I can finish some of the other unfinished projects I discovered in my sewing room...

Here are some pictures of the felt food.

The eggs and carton are my favorite.

Snow White came to model the grocery bag.

I used this pattern.  Look for pattern sales at Joann's, or use a 50% off coupon.

Strawberries, carrots, apples, squash, tomatoes,  an orange,eggplant, and a pumpkin

Have you finished any projects lately?  Or, do you still have some sitting in your closet?  There is no better time than the present!



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Pinterest Inspired Project: DIY Ruffled Tote Bag

Ever since I joined Pinterest last year, I've enjoyed finding great ideas, being inspired, and collecting lots of pins for my boards.  Recently, my goal has been to actually do something with all of that inspiration that's gathered.

My plan was to put together tote bags for the girls for when our baby was born.  Inside would be little handmade matching outfits to wear to the hospital for their first visit, some little gifts to occupy their time while I was in the hospital, and some candy.  So, I cut out the fabric for these little bags, and my son was born the next day, 2 weeks early.  Needless to say, the outfits were not made and the bags were incomplete.  For our road trip a few weeks ago, I finally finished these bags and filled them with special things for the girls to do in the car.

My inspiration was from something I saw on Pinterest, but I wanted to change it a little bit; I wasn't too thrilled about using so much glue for mine, so I decided to sew it onto my bag.

Here's the original picture that inspired me from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom:

Source: scatteredthoughtsofasahm.blogspot.com via Lauren on Pinterestt

This was a really quick project and very easy, even for beginners.  I had the girls choose their fabric from my stash, and then I added the colored ribbon, just using what I had on hand.  The girls loved their bags for the road and now we use them as library bags!  These would make a great gift for a little girl!  What little girl doesn't like having a bag to fill up?  Here's my tutorial, not too different from my inspiration, but I thought I'd share mine with you too.

Supplies:
-plain canvas tote bag {I purchased mine at Wal-Mart, in a pack of 3 for about $5}
-fabric strips
-coordinating thread
-ribbon, or other trims as desired

1. Measure the bag and mark where to put the ruffles.  I only wanted three ruffles on mine, so I made them a bit thicker than my inspiration photo.

2. Cut out the fabric strips to the desired width {mine were 4-inch wide strips} and length {cut a strip twice as long as the width of the bag, plus 1/2 inch}.  My bag was 13.5 inches wide, so I cut my strip 28 inches long.

3. Using a long stitch on your sewing machine, stitch 1/4-inch from the top of the fabric.  Pull on the bottom thread to gather the stitches and create a ruffle.

4. Place fabric strip on lowest marking of the bag, pin in place, gathering more or less as needed to fit the length of the bag, and sew in place with a straight stitch. {make sure you change the stitch between the ruffling and this step!}

5. Repeat with remaining strips, working your way up the bag.

6. Place ribbon over the top ruffled seam, covering the raw edges.  Pin in place and sew.  Then, sew another stitch along the top of the ribbon directly onto the bag.   You can add flowers or other accessories to the bag as well.


Have you done anything with your pins lately?  

Faux Roman Shades for the Kitchen

Does anyone else have a difficult time treating windows?  And by treating, I mean window treatments, not cleaning or preparing for the elements.  Making this decision is always a long process for me for several reasons:

1. They need to look good.
2. Spending a lot of money is not an option.
3. DIY is a preference.
4. Easy is better.

Meeting all of this criteria can be a challenge, specifically for someone as fickle as me in my decorating choices!  Oh, to be able to take the time to go back to school for some interior design classes...

My kitchen opens up right to the family room, so my choices in there needed to coordinate/flow with the choices I made in the family room. (You can read about  my family room drapes here). The kitchen was my first project, so I started with picking fabric.  After perusing the fabric outlet in town, the internet, and finally Joann's, I decided on this gorgeous fabric:

One of the colors in the pattern matches perfectly the color that we chose for paint (you can read about my paint choices here), which is why we chose that paint color!  I love the linen background and the floral pattern.  Plus, the pattern has the blues and greens which I wanted to keep going throughout the downstairs of our home.

After choosing the fabric, the next step was determining how to use it.  I knew that I wanted a top treatment, not something that would hang to the floor, for the kitchen.  There are a ton of patterns out there for valances and other top-treatments, but nothing really caught my eye.  What was left?  Roman Shades.  Ugh!  I have always loved the look of these, but the thought of actually making one terrified me!  But, this was the only thing I liked, so I had to do it.  I decided on the 'faux' kind, simply because it used less fabric (economical-meets the criteria).

I waited for a big sale at Joann's, and then purchased my fabric and supplies.  I became more terrified as the ladies were cutting my fabric and cording for the shades when they started bombarding me with tips on how to make sure the shades were perfect, saying things like, "If you don't line everything up perfectly your shade will open crooked and won't look right".  I finally told them to stop because I thought for sure I'd never be able to make it work!

Thankfully, I used a pattern for these, but I've also seen some great tutorials in blogland for making Roman Shades, in case you don't want to spend the money on a pattern.  (Just google 'tutorial for Roman Shades').

I think I literally sat for 4 hours reading the pattern trying to decipher what the directions were telling me to do.  Am I the only one who has this trouble with patterns?  Finally, it clicked and I dove in.  Once I started it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, just some simple seam-sewing.  The challenging part was measuring the placement for the rings (where the cord would hang) and rigging the cord.  My mom happened to be in town the weekend after I had sewn the shades, so she graciously assisted me in this process, since she had done it before.

I love the way they turned out and I really like having this style in the kitchen.  It keeps it open, fairly casual, but still dressed nicely.

Now, since we have neighbors in the back, blinds will be a necessity!  Maybe we'll get those up this weekend...

The Look of Linen for Less

Linen is my absolute favorite textile, both in home decor and fashion.  Linen pants are super comfortable and somehow I always feel thinner when I wear them.  And, regardless of what fabric store I'm shopping in, I always pick up linen fabrics first, whether I plan on it or not.  Although linen is classic and beautiful, it also comes with a high price tag.  Most linen fabrics, even linen blend fabrics, are over $20 a yard, if not much more.  I decided to find an alternative to spending this much money but still have something that looked similar to linen.

Look at this fabric:

Now, look at this one:

Which one is real linen?  It's hard to tell, isn't it?  The second is the non-linen, which I used for drapery panels in the Family Room.  My original plan was to go with burlap drapes, which I had seen in a Ballard Designs catalog, something like these

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But, my daughter broke out with a rash when she touched it, so that was a no go.  I searched the internet for alternatives, because I really just wanted a plain, neutral colored fabric, with no pattern on it.  Muslin was recommended for drapes, but it was a bit too lightweight for me.

I browsed through the utility fabric section at Joann's one day and discovered Osnaburg (I think that's what it's called).  It's a Roc Ion fabric, and it only costs $3.99/yard.  This was perfect!  It had the textured look of linen, the neutral color I was looking for, and with my coupon that week I only had to pay (wait a minute while I get out my calculator...) $2.40/yard.  When you need to purchase 15 yards, this is a great deal!

These panels were easy to make.  Because I hate cutting fabric, as mentioned in my Easy Drapery Panels post, I made each panel as wide as the fabric so I only had to cut it the length that I needed.  I sewed a small hem down the side of each panel, made a rod pocket at the top, and then used stitch witchery (actually my mom did this part for me) to make the hem.

I love that the sunlight comes in through the fabric, they hang nicely, the wind blows them just right when the windows are open, and they are the simple drapes I wanted.

You don't have to spend a lot of money on fabric.  Be creative and utilize other fabrics to get what you want while being a frugal, yet tasteful, decorator.

Linking to:

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage